# BMP6

Source: https://onco.cc/targets/bmp6/  
OnCo record `bmp6` (Target). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

BMP6 (Bone morphogenetic protein 6) is a gene that drives cell growth when it is altered. The public catalogues list it as an oncogene driver, and it is called a cancer driver by mutation analysis of patient cohorts. Tied to Prostate cancer.

## Summary

Growth factor of the TGF-beta superfamily that plays essential roles in many developmental processes including cartilage and bone formation. Also plays an important role in the regulation of HAMP/hepcidin expression and iron metabolism by acting as a ligand for haemojuvelin/HJV. Also acts to promote expression of HAMP, potentially via the interaction with its receptor BMPR1A/ALK3.

IntOGen calls it a driver in 1 cohort (1 activating, 0 loss-of-function), covering Prostate Adenocarcinoma.

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-23
- Also known as: bone morphogenetic protein 6; Bone morphogenetic protein 6; VGR1
- Tags: cancer-genes-wave
- Symbol: BMP6
- Class: oncogene
- Biology: Growth factor of the TGF-beta superfamily that plays essential roles in many developmental processes including cartilage and bone formation. Also plays an important role in the regulation of HAMP/hepcidin expression and iron metabolism by acting as a ligand for haemojuvelin/HJV. Also acts to promote expression of HAMP, potentially via the interaction with its receptor BMPR1A/ALK3. Initiates the canonical BMP signalling cascade by associating with type I receptor ACVR1 and type II receptor ACVR2B. In turn, ACVR1 propagates signal by phosphorylating SMAD1/5/8 that travel to the nucleus and act as activators and repressors of transcription of target. Can also signal through non-canonical pathway such as TAZ-Hippo signalling cascade to modulate VEGF signalling by regulating VEGFR2 expression. Location: Secreted (UniProt). Locus 6p24.3 (HGNC).
- Where found: Prostate cancer: IntOGen driver in 1 cohort (PRAD)

## Notes

- Written by scripts/fetch-cancer-genes.ts from CIViC, Open Targets, IntOGen, HGNC and UniProt; the function text is UniProt's, condensed and in UK spelling. Roles: IntOGen calls it an activating (Act) driver in 1 cohort. Evidence tier "cohort-driver" is the strongest of those signals.
- Prevalence not recorded: none of the sources gives a positivity rate.

## Sources

- HGNC HGNC:1073: https://www.genenames.org/data/gene-symbol-report/#!/hgnc_id/HGNC:1073
- UniProt P22004: https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/P22004/entry
- NCBI Gene 654: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/654
- Ensembl ENSG00000153162: https://www.ensembl.org/Homo_sapiens/Gene/Summary?g=ENSG00000153162

## Connected records

- collections: [IntOGen](https://onco.cc/collections/intogen/)
- cancers: [Prostate cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/prostate/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/bmp6.json